New Delhi
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) announced on Tuesday that a supplementary charge sheet has been filed against two active members of an Al Qaeda-linked terrorist group’s module operating from Assam. The accused, Md Akbar Ali alias Akbar Ali and Abul Kalam Azad, were charged with conspiring to spread terror and violence in India. The two individuals, arrested on April 5, are accused of being part of an active terror module associated with the Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT), which is affiliated with the proscribed terrorist organization Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS). The NIA revealed that they were involved in enhancing Al Qaeda/ABT’s activities and recruiting youth for carrying out terrorist acts. The NIA’s investigations revealed that the accused were co-conspirators in organizing meetings to expand AQIS activities in various religious places in neighboring districts of Assam. The radicalization and mobilization of individuals were reportedly under the guidance of the module’s Bangladeshi handlers, including Zakir alias Mehdi Hassan alias Aminul Islam and Mehboor Rahman alias Mehboob Alam alias Sultan. The case was originally filed by Assam Police on March 4, 2022, and was subsequently taken over by the NIA on March 22, 2022, under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UA(P) Act), Passports Act, and Foreigners Act. The ABT module, operating in Barpeta District of Assam, was allegedly led by a Bangladeshi national, Saiful Islam alias Haroon Rashid. The NIA had filed the initial charge sheet against eight other accused in August last year.
